1913-11-05 Darjeeling, Bengal Presidency, British India [now West Bengal, India]
Vivien Leigh (born Vivian Mary Hartley on November 5, 1913, in Darjeeling, British India) was an English actress renowned for her roles in Hollywood and British theater. She won two Academy Awards for Best Actress, portraying Scarlett O’Hara in Gone with the Wind (1939) and Blanche DuBois in A Streetcar Named Desire (1951), both performances that solidified her place among the greatest actresses of classic cinema. Leigh was the only child of Ernest Hartley, a British broker, and Gertrude Yackjee, who had Anglo-Indian and Armenian ancestry. She spent her childhood between England and Europe, attending convent schools before enrolling at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in London in 1932, setting the stage for her acting career. Her film debut came in Things Are Looking Up (1934), followed by roles in British films such as Fire Over England (1937), where she starred alongside Laurence Olivier. Their professional collaboration soon became a high-profile romance, capturing public fascination. Leigh’s breakthrough role was Scarlett O’Hara in Gone with the Wind (1939), a part for which she beat hundreds of actresses in a legendary casting search. The film became one of the most celebrated in cinematic history, and her performance earned international acclaim, securing her first Academy Award. Leigh continued to star in films such as Waterloo Bridge (1940) and That Hamilton Woman (1941), frequently working with Olivier, whom she married in 1940. Their union lasted 20 years, during which they became one of the most revered couples in theater and film, starring together in Shakespearean productions and three films. In 1951, she won her second Academy Award for A Streetcar Named Desire, where her portrayal of Blanche DuBois was deeply personal, reflecting her own struggles with mental health. Leigh suffered from bipolar disorder, which profoundly affected her career and personal relationships. She also battled chronic tuberculosis, first diagnosed in the mid-1940s, which ultimately led to her death on July 8, 1967, at the age of 53. After divorcing Olivier in 1960, she found companionship with actor John Merivale, who remained by her side until her passing. Despite periods of career instability, Leigh remains one of the most celebrated actresses of her time. In 1999, the American Film Institute (AFI) ranked her as the 16th greatest female movie star of classic Hollywood cinema. She also won a Tony Award for Tovarich (1963), proving her talent extended beyond film. Her beauty, talent, and dedication made her an enduring icon, and her performances continue to be studied and celebrated worldwide.
 |
Flashing Images of Vivien Leigh and Marlon Brando | Blanche Du Bois/Self | 2023-04-10 |
 |
Vivien Leigh, autant en emporte le vent | Self (archive footage) | 2021-01-03 |
 |
Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood | Self (archive footage) | 2018-07-27 |
 |
1939: Hollywood's Greatest Year | Self (archive footage) | 2009-07-02 |
 |
Jornal Português (1938-1951) | Self (archive footage) | 2005-12-12 |
 |
Melanie Remembers: Reflections by Olivia de Havilland | Herself (archive footage) | 2004-11-09 |
 |
Larry & Vivien: The Oliviers in Love | Self (archive footage) | 2001-09-13 |
 |
Sir John Mills' Moving Memories | Self (archive footage) | 2000-08-01 |
 |
Glorious Technicolor | Self (archive footage) (uncredited) | 1998-12-07 |
 |
That's Entertainment! III | (archive footage) | 1994-07-01 |
 |
Korda: I Don't Grow on Trees: Part One | Self | 1993-10-05 |
 |
Vivien Leigh: Scarlett and Beyond | Self (archive footage) | 1990-10-22 |
 |
Hollywood Scandals and Tragedies | 1988-09-19 | |
 |
The Making of a Legend: Gone with the Wind | Self (archive footage) | 1988-10-01 |
 |
Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage | Self (archive footage) (uncredited) | 1983-02-25 |
 |
Laurence Olivier: a life | Self ( Archive footage ) | 1982-10-24 |
 |
That's Entertainment, Part II | (archive footage) | 1976-05-16 |
 |
Brother, Can You Spare a Dime? | Self (archive footage) | 1975-08-06 |
 |
Hollywood: The Dream Factory | Self (archive footage) | 1972-01-10 |
 |
The Extraordinary Seaman | Self (archive footage) (uncredited) | 1969-05-14 |
 |
Ivanov | Anna Petrovna | 1966-05-03 |
 |
Ship of Fools | Mary Treadwell | 1965-07-29 |
 |
The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone | Karen Stone | 1961-12-28 |
 |
The Skin of Our Teeth | Sabina | 1959-01-01 |
 |
Small world: Vivien Leigh | Self- film actress | 1958-12-28 |
 |
The Deep Blue Sea | Hester Collyer | 1955-11-01 |
|
The Screen Director | Self (archive footage) (uncredited) | 1951-03-12 |
 |
A Streetcar Named Desire | Blanche DuBois | 1951-09-19 |
 |
Rebecca | Mrs. de winter | 1950-11-06 |
 |
Anna Karenina | Anna Karenina | 1948-01-22 |
 |
Caesar and Cleopatra | Cleopatra | 1945-12-11 |
 |
That Hamilton Woman | Emma, Lady Hamilton | 1941-04-03 |
 |
Hollywood: Style Center of the World | Self | 1940-05-29 |
 |
Cavalcade of the Academy Awards | Self | 1940-07-31 |
 |
Private lives | Amanda Prynne | 1940-10-13 |
 |
21 Days Together | Wanda | 1940-01-07 |
 |
Waterloo Bridge | Myra | 1940-05-17 |
 |
Gone with the Wind | Scarlett O'Hara | 1939-12-15 |
 |
St. Martin's Lane | Liberty | 1938-10-18 |
 |
A Yank at Oxford | Elsa Craddock | 1938-02-18 |
 |
Fire Over England | Cynthia | 1937-03-05 |
 |
Storm in a Teacup | Victoria Gow | 1937-02-25 |
 |
Dark Journey | Madeleine Goddard | 1937-07-02 |
 |
Gentlemen's Agreement | Phil Stanley | 1935-01-01 |
 |
Look Up and Laugh | Marjorie Belfer | 1935-08-13 |
 |
Things Are Looking Up | Schoolgirl | 1935-06-09 |
|
The Village Squire | Rose Venables | 1935-04-14 |
